The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-09-08

secret drawer, Miss Maud. and been
fortunate enough to discover what we
have never seen before"
II was as he said. One of the white
marble blocks had moved forward from
its place in the side of the wall, and
we saw that 1t was followed out into
the resemblance of a drawer.
At first it seemed to be empty, but
Mr.. Weber's gray eyes had discovered
something at the bottom.
"A ring" he cried. bringing forth
dusty cirolet Of gold. ''Worth more
than all your fathers collection. too.
A jewel unworn since the middle ages
undoubtedly. See. Miss Mable. it has
a setting too; just note the peculiar
luster Of the stone"
glanced Mt the jewel which he had
polished with his silk handkerchief.
and its dull, unnatural CLEAN made
me shudder. 1t reminded me of the
light in the eye of a serpent.
This jewel must have an owner"
said Mr.. Weber. looking straight at
me. but which of the two fair DAM
sells shall it beP"
He held it up as he spoke and Maud
blushed rosy red.
Mr.. Weber moved little nearer
toward me. 1t seemed as If were to
be his choice.
turned quickly and ran out of the
room and down the steps leading to
the hall where papa was awaiting us.
did not tell him our discovery. but
could not help eagerly waiting for
the appearance of Mr.. Weber and my
sister.
They came at last, and / saw that
the ring encircled Maud's finger.
Mr. Weber began to relate the
strange circumstance and Maud came
straight to me.
"Bel, dear sister. coax papa to return
at once. do not feel right"
Ibid he say any thingP" / whispered.
mo. I'm provoked at him; nothing
only that l had right to the ring as
its discoverer. Let's 60. papa" she
continued. II am tired"
glanced at her face. 1t seemed as
if some light in 1t were extinguished.
and fastened our departure.
| Papa could talk of nothing but
Maud's jewel all the way back to the
hotel, and think no one noticed but
myself the death-like palor of her face.
IL am faint" she whispered. as we
alighted at the ladies' entrance.
LEAN on me dear sister," replied,
throwing my arm about her.
| We had entered our room, and l was
removing her wraps when she stag
gered and fell headlong in faint as
thought.
l hastily called papa, and Mr.. Weber
ran for physician.
Maud could not be brought out of the
strange state into which she had fallen,
and it was with raptures that welcom-
ed the physician when at length he
came.
He was an Englishman, and we'll
learned man.
''She is dead" he said at once. Il
think she has been poisoned"
Every doctor in the ancient place
was summoned, and no one Of them
disagreed with the verdict of the first
conner.
Our darling. my little sister, was
dead, but who could there be that was
enough her enemy to have wished her
death.
This puzzled us for hours. but at
length wrinkled, yellow, little old
Italian saw the ring which now lay up
on our dressing table.
See. the cause of her death!' he
cried in broken Italian. THE ring.
the poisoned ring"
His words were shortly verified.
There was a tiny puncture upon
Maudie's finger just under the spot
where the ring had rested, and there
the poison had entered her system and
| did its fatal work.
All the English people and the Amer
leans in CHS city came to condole with
us, and to see the remnant of the dark
days of Italy. which has found its way
to the light only to deprive us of our
darling.
1t formed a sensational item for the
newspapers of several of the great cap
ital cities of the world, and then Maud
was forgotten by all but us three. l
speak in that way because Mr.. Weber
remained with us. He told me that he
never had cared anything for Maud
save as for sister, having loved me
from the first, and is now my own low
| ing husband
So by her death Maud was saved the
pain of loving one who did not care for
her, and |, too. perhaps gained my
| happiness, for certain it is that / never
should have accepted lover at the cost
of my sisters happiness.
And yet, ali yet often think why Is
| it that such things must beP-Sara B.
Rose, In Chicago Ledger.